Before starting a fluid pump-for the first time, the pump and/or one or more connections to the pump are oftentimes filled with air. As shown in FIG. 1, in the case of a spa, tub, or pool, for example, when the spa is filled with water 120, air can be trapped in the plumbing 105. If there is too much air in the pump 110, the pump 110 will not start to function properly.
The process of priming involves removing air out of plumbing and/or pump to fill the plumbing with fluid so that a pumping or siphoning action can occur. A conventional method of priming can include opening an outlet 103 (e.g., a bleeder, or tube or pipe outlet) to allow the trapped air in the plumbing and/or pump to escape. The bleeder 103 may have an opening 106 on the topside of the spa to so that the air will escape into the atmosphere.
However, sometimes the air still does not leave the plumbing. In such a case, additional labor may be required to prime the pump. A portion of the spa may have to be accessed to manually release or force out the trapped air. In one instance, a portion of the spa has to be removed so that the pump may be accessed. The pump may have a bleeder at the top portion of the pump that can be opened to release the air.
In another instance, a pump union may have to be loosened to allow water to fill the pump. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an exemplary pump union 200. The pump union 200 is a screw joint in the plumbing that allows the pump to be removed from the plumbing hose. This joint can be hand tightened (or loosened) to attach (or detach) the pump from the hose. The pump's “union” can also be referred to as the connection between the pressure (e.g., outlet) and the suction (e.g., inlet) of the pump.
In both instances, extra time and labor are used to prime the pump.